Shipping Up to Gotham
by Courier999
Summary: After the events of "Marie, Reine du Sang", Mystery Inc. and the Grimwood girls venture northwards to Gotham City as part of the girls' ongoing excursion into human society. Once there, however, the amateur sleuths and their wards find themselves caught up in another mystery- this one involving a mummy's curse. Rated K for violence and mild cursing. R&R!
1. Chapter 1

SCOOBY-DOO: Shipping Up to Gotham

_Scooby-Doo_, DC Comics, and all related characters are property of Warner Bros.

* * *

Dedicated in memory of Russi Taylor (1944-2019).

* * *

Chapter 1: Midnight at the Museum

The night air sat still over downtown Gotham, the sleek Art Deco spires that dominated the city skyline piercing into a sky the color of television tuned to a dead channel. Below these towers of steel and glass and concrete sat more humble structures such as apartment complexes and office blocks. And atop one of these ten-story concrete colossi sat two young women, both clad in purple ensembles and waiting for a call to come…

"So, what'd you bring tonight, Babs?"

Barbara Gordon unclipped a reusable lunch bag from a carabiner on the side of her outfit's belt before promptly getting to work on examining its contents.

"Some sandwiches, dried fruit- you like apricots, right, Steph?"

"What kind of sandwiches?"

"Deli-style roast beef, chicken salad, egg and cress-"

Barbara was interrupted by a message from the police-band radio integrated into her cowl.

"_All units, be advised- we have a break-in at the Gotham Museum of Antiquities by an unknown perpetrator._"

The redheaded crimefighter turned to her blond cohort.

"Ah, well- looks like dinner'll have to wait. Wonder who we'll find at the scene this time?"

* * *

"_All the old paintings on the tombs- they do the sand dance don't you know! If they move too quick- oh whey oh- they're falling down like a domino!_" a young white-haired woman in a black leather outfit with a bob haircut idly sang to herself as she stuffed the pockets of her cargo pants full of ancient jewelry.

"Boss, you sure this is a good idea?" a nearby man with shoulder-length blond hair, chin stubble, and a scar on his left cheek asked.

"I don't pay you think, Bob!" came the reply.

"It's just that- well, what about the Bat?"

The white-haired woman let out a haughty laugh.

"Word on the street is that the Bat's out of town- or did you miss that memo?"

"Aren't you forgetting something about him, though?"

"Like what?"

"Like that he's got-"

Just then, one of a pair of doors labelled "MAINTENANCE- MUSEUM STAFF ONLY" swung open, a yellow combat boot poking through the gap between the two doors.

"-understudies." Bob finished.

Right as he finished his sentence, Bob soon found himself on the receiving end of a roughly bat-shaped projectile. A few moments later, the rest of the robbers were staring down two quasi-familiar faces.

"Batgirl and Spoiler- the heroes this city neither needs nor deserves." the white-haired woman jeered.

"Nice to see you too, Magpie." Batgirl snarked.

Magpie let out another chuckle.

"Word of advice, girls- you don't exactly look good in purple."

"It's not purple, it's _eggplant!_" Spoiler hissed.

"Six of one, half-dozen of the other. Now scram before I carve you both up like a turkey!" Magpie retorted.

Spoiler promptly reached for her utility belt and pulled out her collapsible bo staff.

"You wanna rethink that?" she asked.

Magpie smirked as she drew twin switchblades.

"Let's dance!" she exclaimed.

"With pleasure." Batgirl replied.

It was at that moment that Magpie noticed that her opponent had drawn her grapple gun and was aiming it squarely at her lower legs.

"Clever girl, but you really should lead your target!"

Right as the gun discharged a length of wire terminating in a grappling hook, Magpie tumbled out of its path, the bob of white hair falling off to reveal a head of close-cropped black hair.

"Now, let's see if you two can keep up!"

And with that, Magpie bolted off deeper into the museum, making a beeline for a nearby exhibit entry with the sign "WAYNE FOUNDATION PRESENTS THE TREASURES OF SMENKHKARE- OPENING SOON!" above it.

"Wait- who's this Smenkhkare guy?" Spoiler asked as she read the sign.

"Pharaoh of the 18th Dynasty- if records are to be believed, he only ruled for a year before he was assassinated and subsequently succeeded by his younger brother Tutankhamun. Though considering that his tomb was only recently discovered, the scientific community hasn't really had any opportunities to _test_ that claim." Batgirl replied.

"Huh. Good to- _LOOK OUT!_"

Batgirl barely had any time to react before Spoiler tackled her out of the way of a falling large novelty Egyptian vase.

"Thanks for the save!"

"_Dammit!_" a nearby Magpie exclaimed.

Right on cue, Spoiler leapt up, staff fully extended as she closed the gap.

"Oh son of a-"

There was a sudden _THWACK!_ as the staff struck against Magpie's head, dazing the kleptomaniac crook.

"_NOW!_" Spoiler yelled.

Batgirl nodded, and then drew and aimed the grapple gun in a single fluid motion. A moment later, the wire struck true, entangling Magpie's legs and sending her falling to the ground.

"And score another one for the Auxiliary Dynamic Duo!" Spoiler whooped.

* * *

_Gotham Docks- same time as Magpie's defeat_

"Montoya, remind me again why the Commissioner wants us escorting some dead pharaoh and all his junk." Harvey Bullock groused as several crates were unloaded from a nearby freighter.

"Because that 'junk' is worth a king's ransom, and at least half the usual suspects'll be coming out of the woodwork to get their grubby mitts on it." his partner replied.

* * *

AUTHOR'S NOTES:

If you're wondering who Smenkhkare is, he's from the _Tom Strong_ comics, where he was Alan Moore's reinterpretation of the obscure Golden Age character known as Mystico, the Wonder Man. Also, if you're wondering where Magpie's henchman Bob came from, he's based off Bob the Goon (aka Joker's number one guy) from Tim Burton's first _Batman _movie from 1989.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2: On the Road to Gotham

"So, what're the odds we run into that 'Batman' figure?" Sibella asked from the back of Shaggy's van.

"Like, who knows?" Shaggy replied.

Just then, there was a sound of rustling paper as one of the other girls rummaged through the small pile of brochures they'd picked up at the visitor's center in the nearby township of Bristol.

"Coach, can we visit S.T.A.R Labs?" Elsa asked.

"If we, like, have the time."

"Ooh, this 'Arkham Asylum' place seems positively creepy! I wonder if they'd mind if I-" Phantasma began.

"Like, no way now how! That's where they put all the crazy people!"

"Reah- crazy reople!" Scooby added.

"Like, let's visit someplace that's safer, like the Flugelheim, or some other museum, or the Botanical Gardens!"

"But where else could I get the most bang for my buck in terms of haunting practice?"

"Coach, what's this 'Wayne Foundation' that keeps popping up in the brochures?" Tanis piped up.

Shaggy took a deep breath.

"You know how Sibella's folks are, like, rich?"

Tanis nodded.

"Well, in human society, there're people who're, like, even more rich. And some of them like to start up charities and similar organizations, and one of those rich people is some guy named Bruce Wayne and the Wayne Foundation is, like, his private foundation. Does that make sense?"

"…what's a private foundation?"

"Like, ask Daphne when we get to the hotel."

* * *

_Wayne Manor- same time as Mystery Inc.'s arrival into Gotham_

"I see you're back early, Master Bruce. How did your latest 'business trip' go?" an older man with a British accent asked.

"Legion of Doom had a bit of a roster change since the last time."

" Please, elaborate."

"Scarecrow, Croc, Captain Cold, and Deathstroke were out, while Metallo, Parasite, Killer Frost, and Merlyn were in. But enough about me- how've things been going on the home front, Alfred?"

"In terms of your usual rogues gallery's activities, relatively quiet. In terms of your calendar, however, you have a gala at the museum in three days and another one at the Wayne Foundation in five."

"That doesn't sound too-"

"And you'll be surprised to hear that Nedley and Elizabeth Blake are slated to make an appearance at the second gala."

Bruce rubbed his chin in thought.

"I know that name, but I just can't put my finger on it…"

"I believe the both of you were part of the same graduating class, Master Bruce."

Just then, it all clicked inside Bruce's head.

"Now I know who you're talking about."

* * *

_Powers Hotel- Old Gotham_

"Well, this is a bit more modest than the one we stayed in back in New Orleans." Sibella said as she examined the suite.

"But on the upside, we can actually stay here for a decent length of time." Velma replied.

"Like, enough talk about the room- let's go and, like, see the sights!" Shaggy piped up.

"Reah- ree the rights!" Scooby added.

As if on cue, Sibella, Tanis, and Phantasma were standing in a neat little row right beside the door, with the little mummy now bearing a pair of big pleading eyes.

"Sure, you three can tag along. I mean, what's the worst that could happen?" Shaggy said.

_He_ _just_ had _to tempt fate, didn't he?_ Velma thought.

* * *

AUTHOR'S NOTES:

Just so we're all on the same page, the layout of Earth-55's version of Gotham City is based off a fan-made map, since I couldn't seem to find a sufficiently detailed official or quasi-official map of the entire city that had the level of detail I needed.

Also, in case you're wondering, Batman (hopefully) won't be hogging the spotlight to the extent that Constantine and Zatanna did in the last two fics.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3: Mummy Curses For Fun and Profit

_The Stacked Deck- The Bowery_

Two-Face scanned the makeshift conference room, taking count of the various fellow super-criminals who had managed to show up- namely the Riddler, Scarecrow, Clayface, Killer Croc, and Killer Moth.

"Well, this is a lot smaller than I thought it'd be…" Scarecrow said.

Just then, the door swung open, and a blond-haired woman in a red-and-black ensemble proceeded to skate in, with a younger brunette in a Pierrot costume following her.

"Didn't you go legit after what happened with Joker?" Clayface asked as he eyed the newly-arrived Harley Quinn.

Harley nodded.

"So, what're you doing back with the likes of us?" Croc asked.

"After the B-Man sent Mister J to another funny farm upstate, I tried to turn a new leaf, but a gal with my history doesn't have the best job prospects, y'know?"

"Preach it, sister." Killer Moth piped up.

"So to make a long story short, I managed to get myself into a roller derby team-"

"Which one?" Scarecrow asked.

"Burnside Birdies. Anyways, things were lookin' up, I figured I'd finally gone legit- and then it turned out my paycheck barely covered rent and utilities."

"Doesn't explain why you're with us again instead of, say, striking out on your own." Two-Face replied.

"Ya see, I'm lookin' for one last big score- somethin' I can use to make myself a nice little nest egg."

"_Buona fortuna._" (Good luck with that.) Harley's brunette companion snarked.

"At least I _tried_, Pagliacci! You just went to Riddler once everything Mister J built began to crumble into dust!"

"Where else was I supposed to go?!"

"_QUIET!_" Two-Face bellowed.

Dead silence filled the room.

"Now, Harley, you said you're looking for one last big score?"

"Me and the rest of the Gang of Harleys."

"_Oddio, ci sei più di te?_" (Oh God, there's more of you?) Pagliacci asked.

Two-Face sharply exhaled.

"Well, lucky for us that a golden opportunity's dropped right into our laps."

Harley's eyes went wide.

"Okay, Harv- you had my curiosity, but now you've got my attention."

Pagliacci let out a snort.

"Oh, good- _another_ chance for us to be chased through the city by a crazed pyrokinetic cokehead who just won't shut up!"

"Well, the good news is that we're not going anywhere near Snowflame this time."

Pagliacci sighed in relief.

"So, what're we going after this time?"

"Scuttlebutt on the street and in the Iceberg Lounge is that the Museum of Antiquities managed to get themselves a mummy and its loot for an upcoming exhibit."

"Um, Harv, ain't it a bad idea to rob mummies since they can, y'know-" Harley began.

"Yeah, I know about mummy curses- and that's what I'm banking on."

"…come again?" Scarecrow asked.

"See, one of my contacts at the museum've told me that apparently, this pharaoh's curse is that if you loot his stuff, he loots yours right back. And if there's a mummy with sticky fingers going around Gotham, then who's going to notice if we help him a bit?"

"And if the curse is just a load of hot air?" Riddler asked.

"Then one of us makes sure it hits the morning papers anyways so that it gives us some cover."

* * *

AUTHOR'S NOTES:

If you're wondering who Pagiacci is, she's a fan character that I got permission to use in my DC universe fanfics back in late 2011/early 2012, and thus appeared in a number of Batman fanfics that I now consider to be old shames. If you want to know more about her (namely her backstory and how and why a villainess with a clown schtick got involved with the Riddler), that'll probably be revealed in _Batman: Knight of Gotham_ when I finally get around to updating it.

As for the mentions of Harley Quinn's roller derby career and the Gang of Harleys (basically, a gang of six other women and a man who all dress like Harley), those are from her own New 52/Rebirth solo series, where she's become a full-on antihero.

If you're wondering who the "crazed pyrokinetic cokehead" that Pagliacci mentioned is, it's the Earth-55 version of Snowflame, a one-shot villain from an issue of the relatively obscure and short-lived series _New Guardians_ whose powers were fueled by him snorting cocaine. Despite only making one appearance, Snowflame has since achieved some level of fame thanks to the web review series _Atop The Fourth Wall_.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4: Born In Arizona, Moved To Babylonia

_ Burnett Humanities Building- Gotham State University_

"Good morning, Doctor McElroy." a slender man dressed in a brown tweed suit said as he entered a.

A tall, portly man in a business casual outfit turned to face the new arrival.

"Good morning to you too, Doctor Holt! What brings you here from the Museum of Antiquities?"

"I'm here for Smenkhkare's mummy- assuming your people are done with it."

"About that…"

Holt's face contorted into an irritated expression.

"If you're telling me that some butterfingered grad student managed to despoil a priceless historical artifact-"

" The mummy and the coffin are fine, Abraham. It's just that-"

"It's just _what_?"

"We'd like a little more time to run some more tests on Smenkhkare."

"Unfortunately for you, William, time is a luxury I can't afford. If Smenkhkare and his coffin aren't at the museum in 48 hours, then I'll have both the director and the Wayne Foundation breathing down my neck! _Capisce?_"

McElroy nodded.

"Good. Now that we're all on the same page, my people'll be here to pick up the pharaoh this evening."

* * *

_GSU Campus Grounds_

A scrawny young man sat down beneath a tree, a textbook under his arm and his hands shaking like mad.

"_Nice to see you, Mister Goodman._" a voice rasped.

Goodman looked up. Standing before him was a man in a gray flannel suit and fedora, a lit cigarette dangling between his lips.

"…no. It can't- I've done everything you've wanted!"

"Sorry, kid, but Dent wants you to do him one last job- and you know what he does to welshers."

"I'll pay him back! Just don't-"

"Shoulda thought about that before you kept picking the losing horse and then crawling back for more dough, Vic."

"It's Victor!"

"Considering I've got a gat under this jacket, I'll call ya whatever I want, punk."

Victor meekly nodded.

"What do you want me to do this time?" he meeped.

"Tell me about the stiff that they're gonna put on display at the museum."

"Smenkhkare? What do you want to-"

"What's he look like?"

"Like a centuries-old desiccated corpse?"

The man in the suit kicked Victor in the stomach.

" Don't try that kind of stunt with me, wise guy. I wanna know how he's built."

"He's built like me- please don't hurt me, I'll do whatever you want!"

" Congratulations, then- you get to play switcheroo with a pharaoh."

"…come again?"

"What part of that don't you understand? You take the dead guy out of the coffin, wrap yourself up in bandages, and then climb into the coffin. It ain't rocket surgery, kiddo."

Victor nodded, and then the man in the suit walked away.

* * *

AUTHOR'S NOTES:

Doctor Abraham Holt is a double reference, with his first name being a nod to Abraham "Bram" Stoker (author of both _Dracula_ and the 1903 book _The Jewel of the Seven Stars_, which is about an archaeologist trying to revive an ancient Egyptian mummy), while his last name is a reference to Seth Holt, who helmed _Blood from the Mummy's Tomb_ (a loose adaptation of _The Jewel of the Seven Stars_ produced by Hammer).

As for Victor Goodman and William McElroy, both characters have held the identity of recurring Batman villain known as King Tut (for reference, McElroy was the version played by Victor Buono on the Adam West series, whereas Goodman was a minor villain who appeared in three issues of _Batman Confidential_ in 2009). Granted, the Goodman version of King Tut was basically a murderous knockoff Riddler (which angered the actual Riddler, prompting him to team up with Batman to take Tut down), whereas this version is going to be a) less murderous and b) more sympathetic.


End file.
